Inslee, McKenna project confidence at final campaign stops

Making some final Seattle campaign stops Tuesday, Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna each sounded confident they’ll win their hard-fought gubernatorial race — even if they are behind in votes tallied tonight.

Inslee appeared at the combined Democratic campaign office on Rainier Avenue South around noon to encourage phone-bank volunteers and place a few get-out-the-vote calls himself.

The office had been burglarized the night before, with someone making off with laptops and other equipment, but Inslee said he wasn’t worried about that.

“It’s the last thing on my mind,” he said, noting no ballots were taken. (His campaign said they have not been collecting ballots and has complained about a GOP program to pick up ballots in vans.)

Inslee said he’s poised to win because voters will prefer the values shown in his jobs plan and support of gay marriage.

“I think a value of our state is we are forward-looking. We want to take the next step of bending the arc of the moral universe forward. We’ve done this on many occasions and we’re going to do it again on equality in marriage,” Inslee said. “But the real thing I think voters are going to be voting on is are we going to build jobs in this state, and I’ve got a plan to do that and I’m excited to get into job number one, and that is the governor’s office.”

A couple of hours later, McKenna toured businesses in the Chinatown International District with Tomio Moriguchi, chairman and former CEO of the Uwajimaya supermarkets.

Despite the Republicans’ record-setting losing streak in gubernatorial campaigns here, McKenna said he thinks he’ll come out on top by the end of the week on the strength of comparatively high turnout in GOP-leaning counties.

“I don’t think we’re going to know with confidence until Friday, but I do believe by Friday I will be able to declare that I’ve won. I think I am going to win this election,” McKenna said.

McKenna said he believes his focus on public education “has brought a lot of Democratic voters over to support me.” And ultimately, he said, voters will “choose the individual with the better qualifications and a better vision.”

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Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.